I was thinking about the TLCA the other morning on the way to work. I had just passed a 40 going the other way, and somehow started thinking how much the TLCA is a lot like an old FJ40. I used to have a 40 I always figured I’d be a 40 owner again someday. I think my TLCA membership expired. Huh, come to think of it, the two are quite a bit alike, which I realized that day is what I find most appealing.

They’re both slow. You’ll never win any races in a 2f, unless it’s against a Jeep off-road. But that 2f is pretty dependable, even one that’s 20 or 30 years old. A lot like the TLCA- they’re not the fastest organization out there, and they certainly aren’t winning any technology races. But it’s a comfortable pace, and a predictable one, there’s some comfort in that. I’ve had the chance to “set a spell” at the campfire of more than one TLCA officer over the years, and their pace is a good one.

They both leak. Sometimes a 40 “leaves its mark” on the driveway and drips a little. That’s not a bad thing, it’s a reminder to you that you should check the oil every now and again, and maybe do some other maintenance too. In fact I have newer cars that don’t leak, and can go months on end without even opening the hood. I’m not sure that’s the level of attention that’s right. The fact is those drips under the 40 are much more personal than that, and you can glean quite a bit of info from their size, color, and changes from day to day. Occasionally I’ll hear news “leak” out of the TLCA as well. Like who’s annoyed with who, who said what, maybe something to do with the officers or insurance the budget. But that doesn’t compel me want to drop the TLCA and pick up a newer organization, just as I wouldn’t trade a 40 in for a newer truck over a few drips. Instead it’s just a reminder that maybe I should be giving it a little more attention. Maybe it just needs some maintenance.

They both provide a feeling you just can’t get elsewhere. I won’t even begin to explain the euphoria you get from a well-tuned 40 driving down a lonely road, you just have to have a 40 to understand. But it’s not too different from that “getting lost” feeling you can get from Toyota Trails, the only magazine I can say I’ve actually read cover to cover on the day it arrives, and was sad when it ended. There’s a connection I have to that magazine that I just can’t articulate, other than to say it’s kinda like a connection one gets to an FJ40. It’s an escape you just can’t get elsewhere.

And they’re better in groups. The only thing better than seeing one FJ40 on the road is seeing a whole bunch of them. They actually seem happier together, I think they run a little better too. Not unlike, yes you guessed it, TLCA members. I haven’t had a bad time at a TLCA event yet, and I've been to a few of them. And think they have a way of bringing out the best in people. I’m reminded that most of my best friends are TLCA members, and I'm looking forward to the next TLCA event.

Until then I’ll continue to wave to every FJ40 I pass, even from the minivan. Because FJ40’s, and the TLCA, just make me feel good, if for nothing else than the comfort brought on by their own quirkiness. That’s why I renewed my TLCA membership. :)